13. Soldiers
13
SOLDIERS
WYNSTELLE
A s we face the spelled Elven soldiers outside of the mortal’s castle gates, I sense Eldrin’s power building and swirling around him.
Jaden moves our horse closer so that I can hold Eldrin’s hand and focus on magnifying the prince’s magic if I wish to.
Without a thought for my well-being and how far I’ve pushed myself today, I imagine myself as a mirror to activate my magic.
Immediately, we reflect our energies back and forth to one another like two mirrors facing each other. In our magic, I sense the calming intentions he’s imbued.
Eldrin grunts with the sudden surge of power. It’s as if we have become one being.
Then we release our combined magic toward the volatile Elven soldiers. It hits them like a rolling wave, shaking them from their bespelled state.
One by one, the elves cease their frenzied pacing and waving of their swords. They glance around, blinking as if they don’t even recognize where they are. Perhaps it has all been a crazy dream to them, or they do not remember today’s events.
They congregate together, asking each other questions, trying to understand what has happened. A few give their prince nervous glances.
Our group slowly approaches the confused soldiers, concerned about frightening them.
With all the authority he can muster, Eldrin calls out, “Soldiers of Elfhame, I am Prince Eldrin of Ryven. I order you to return to Elfhame through the portal and wait for my instructions there.”
“Your Highness! How is it possible you stand before us?” a soldier asks. “We thought the mortal king had killed you!”
Before Eldrin can answer, the troop’s commander asks, “What’s happening? It feels like I’ve been in some sort of dream.” He glances at his surroundings and appears surprised by the muted colors of the human realm. “Are we in the mortal lands?”
“Yes.” Eldrin explains, “We all have been used as pawns in a wicked game.”
The Elven soldiers are still confused, as if they can’t understand why they would be sent to the mortal realm to attack the castle if their prince was alive.
Then a soldier puts the pieces together and falls to his knees in grief. “Oh, goddess, no! King Magnus wants another war.”
I would bet he lost much in the last one.
“I don’t intend to let him have a war,” Eldrin calls back to the elves. “It would cause too much destruction on both sides if we allowed this madness to continue.”
Mounting tension and angry murmurs ripple through the troop.
“Do you plan on usurping your father?” This other soldier’s voice is filled with disgust.
I worry if he’s disgusted at the thought of Eldrin challenging his father to the throne or at Magnus.
I pull on Eldrin’s arm to get his attention before he says more. “Don’t answer that,” I hiss. “We need to get out of here. I’m sensing they are about to turn on you.”
“I agree with Wyn. I sense an influencer energy combating yours,” Oakes says in hushed tones. “I advise we leave. Now.”
Eldrin must see the madness returning to the soldier’s eyes again. “So much for my power,” he says with despair. He turns his horse away from the soldiers and quickly leads our group back toward the forested hills nearby.
The Elven soldiers call after him, and a few run after our group.
Then, abruptly, the soldiers stop and refocus their attention back upon the castle, compelled by the mage’s spell once again.
Once our group is safely hidden in the forest’s cover, Oakes asks, “Did anyone else feel her powerful presence?”
The entire group nods, except for Rhys.
“I suppose my human senses aren’t as attuned to magic as you all are.” Rhys shrugs. “Although I might have been distracted by the crazed elves about to kill us all.”
“We shouldn’t linger here too long,” Corwin says as he scans the area for danger. “This place isn’t defendable if someone were to sneak up on us.”
Eldrin looks at both Merlara and Daylor. “I suspect your concealment magic takes a lot of energy to maintain?”
“It does when I have to cast a wide circle to conceal all of us,” Merlara confirms.
“I’m not as strong as Merlara, since I can barely expand my power beyond my body,” Daylor says, his expression rueful.
“No matter. I just need to know what we have at our disposal.” Eldrin looks pointedly at Twyla. “Any other magic or skills we can add to our list of assets?”
Her eyes go wide. “As far as I know, I just have creature-speak and my changeling mark, which is no longer intact. I don’t even know if I could heal Wynstelle as I did before.”
“You did heal her!” Rhys grins, pleased that his suspicions are proving to be true.
Eldrin frowns at Twyla’s comment. “Well, let’s hope we don’t have to find out if you still can.”
“I can absorb a wide variety of spells without them affecting me,” Baelen volunteers. “Though I haven’t tested how much magic I can transmute. And I’ve never faced off against an Elven Mage.”
“I can manipulate air and, to a lesser degree, the other elements,” Corwin adds, turning his attention away from observing the crazed soldiers in the distance.
“Both of your magics might come in handy.” Frustrated, Jaden runs his hand through his dark locks. To Eldrin, he says, “If we can’t get past those Elven soldiers, we stand little chance of stopping King Nathaniel’s retaliation.”
“Does it matter if we get to him?” Rhys asks with an exasperated tone. “If there are crazed elves in the mortal lands, then the war has already begun. Why would King Nathaniel stop fighting when he’s only defending his people’s lives and property?”
There’s a murmur of agreement amongst our group. Our eyes are drawn toward the castle. Through the trees and shrubs, I see the glow of the setting sun on the stone walls. It would be a beautiful sight if it weren’t for the violent swarm of elves.
“Maybe you can convince him to not retaliate,” Twyla suggests to Eldrin. “Maybe if he knows you plan to stop your father by any means necessary, then he will back down.”
“An attempt to talk with him will put you at risk,” Oakes reminds us. “King Nathaniel threw us in the dungeon last time for merely hinting that Twyla was a threat.”
I shudder at the memory of finding my mates half-dead in the dark pit. My eyes implore Eldrin to stay safe. “I don’t think talking to him is worth the risk to your life.”
As if reading Eldrin’s thoughts, Jaden says to his prince, “Confronting your father isn’t a better option either.”
Eldrin looks at everyone present. “Then what ?” he asks, his nerves frayed. “Do you expect me to cower? Run from this fight? Allow the bloodshed and death to continue, perhaps for decades?”
“No,” Oakes answers for the group. “None of that. But we have witnessed the mage’s power that controls the Elven soldiers, and we need more power on our side than what we currently have… no offense to anyone present. Turgon and Magnus have an entire army, and they have a mage to control everyone—a mage capable of sending Ryven’s ghouls to their deaths. We need to call upon the allies we have gained in our campaign for peace. We need Mage Neven and others to assist us.”
Eldrin says, “Alright, we?—”
Jaden cuts him off. “There are at least two dozen human soldiers encircling us.”
“What?” Eldrin grips the hilt of his sword. “Merlara!” he calls for her to put up her concealment magic.
After trying to use her power, Merlara gasps, “I can’t! I’m sorry. My magic’s depleted.”
The hushed voice of a man comes from the thick brush, loud enough for Jaden and me to hear, “It’s the Elven Prince… and Princess Twyla! What the fuck is going on?”
“Doesn’t matter. We have to take them all to the king,” another soldier says.
“ If we can get inside the castle.”
While the human soldiers debate what to do, Jaden moves closer to Eldrin. “They’re going to attempt to capture us. What are your orders?”
“Resist,” Eldrin whispers back to his advisor.
Jaden uses hand signals to inform his guards of their orders.
Then the human soldiers press forward and present their force of thirty men. I rotate my head to take the entire sight in. I know the only way we are getting away from these men is for us to kill or severely wound the humans.
What will Rhys do? Fight for the elves or for his comrades?
I can’t believe that he will harm his people, not if he doesn’t have to.
I look at Eldrin, wondering what he will do next. If we resist, it will cause a bloodbath. Then I feel the prince’s energy building. Can he influence these men? Does he have the strength or power left to attempt such a feat?
Eldrin opens his mouth to speak, but at that same moment, Princess Twyla falls from her horse, unconscious.
“What happened?” Rhys cries out as he drops from his saddle to check on her. His fierce eyes lock briefly with Eldrin’s just before he falls to his knees to see if his princess is still alive.